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Home > Tamil Culture - the Heart of Tamil National Consciousness > Tamil  Music > M M Dandapani Desikar

TAMIL MUSIC - தமிழ் இசை

M. M Dandapani Desikar
27 August 1908 - 26 June 1972


அன்பு கொண்டென்னை ஆதரி- ராகம்-ஆரபி

[see also M.M.Dandapani Desigar - True proponent of Tamil Isai - Sriram Venkatkrishnan]


M M Dandapani DesikarM M Dandapani Desikar (1908-1972) was born at Tiruccenkaattaankudi (the birthplace of the famous nAyanmAr ciruttoNDa nAyanAr), near Tiruvarur. He made his debut at Tirumarugal, noted for its Saivite shrine and for its brilliant nagaswaram maestro Natesan.

He learnt music and tEvAram initially from his father (Muttaiah Desikar) who belonged to the traditional family of OduvArs (the group that sings devotional songs in temples). Later, he learnt music from others, including the violin doyen KumbakONam Rajamanickam PiLLai.

He was a multi-talented composer in Thamizh music.. He was a musician, composer, teacher and movie actor. He appeared on the music scene when Thamizh isai was having a renaissance in the 1940s, and contributed so much to it.

He was teacher from his eighteenth year at the Okkur Lakshmanan Chettiar Thevara Patasala for ten years and was Professor and Head of the Department of Music, Annamalai University for fifteen years. He published the works of Bharati, Padinalvar and several Tevarams, Divya Prabandhams and Tiruppugazhs in a book entitled Isai Tamizh Paamalai. This book also includes his compositions which reveal his command over music and the language. He published quite a few Thamizh music works under the auspices of Thamizh isaic Cangam.

He gave many concerts while teaching at Annamalai University.  His several awards include �isai arasu�, 'Pandisai Pulavar Kone', 'Thevara Mani', 'Sangita Sahitya Siromani', 'Tirumurai Kalanidhi', 'Thandaka Vendhu', 'Pannisai Vendhan', 'Isai Pulavar', 'Kalaimamani' from the Tamil nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram, 'Isai Perarignar' from the Tamil Isai Sangam and 'Sangita Natak Academy Award'.  His movies included Pattinaththaar, Nandanaar, Thaayumaanavar, Maanickavaacagar, and Tirumazhisai Azhvaar, all of which featured his singing prominently.

Some other songs of M M Dandapani Desikar that are rendered in concert circuits are: unnaiyanRi uRRa tuNai (bhavAni), velanai nI (AndOLikA), anjezhuttinai nenjilE (rAgavinOdini), Anai mugattOnE (dEvamanOhari), isaiyin ellaiyai (subhapantuvarALi), pADa vENDumE (hamsanAdam), aruLa vENDum tAyE (sAramati) and ennai nI maRavAtE (amritavarshini).

M M Dandapani Desikar's compositions include -

Song Ragam Thalam
Adiyenai kattu arulvai angayarkkanni
Kambhoji
Triputa

Arul uruvan avan aduginran mei anbar
Kalyanadayini
Adi

Arula vendum taye angayarkkanni niye
Saramati
Rupaka

Bhavapriya
Bhavani
Adi

Ellam shei vallavanam ellam arindavanam
Kiravani
T/Adi

En taye en annai enran kurai aghatri
Revagupti
Adi

Ezhishai aghiya ishai magale enrum
Kalyani
Adi

Inba kanavonru kanden
Ragamalika
Adi

Innuruvai vilangum ishaimagale
Todi
Adi

Kadavul arulai ninaindu ninaindu
Kiravani
Rupaka

Kadavulai maravade (nannenje) unran
Tandava
Adi

Matshi migunda taye minakshi daivam
Hindola
Rupaka

Muruganai ni ninai maname mun ninru
Visharada
Rupaka

Nal vazhkaiye nalum vendum ulagil
Kokila
Adi

Navukkarashanai jnana kozhundinai
Hemavati
Adi

Pan porundum ishaiyinile padi padi
Kalyani
Rupaka

Panniru kai velavane pazhanimalai
Hamsanandi
Rupaka

Pugazhai tedi porulai tedu porumai
Kannada
Rupaka

Tamarai putta tatakamadi
Hindustanigandhari
Adi

Tamizh mozhiyai potruvom tin
Sama
Adi

Tirupati malaiyurai venkata va tiruvadi
Sarasangi
Adi

Unmai peshuvom uyar veyduvom ullam tanil
Abhogi
Adi

Unnai anri utra tunai ulagil yarayya
Bhavani
Rupaka

Vallal annamalaiye tamizh ishai vazhga
Purvikalyani
T/Adi

Vanjam nirai ulagil vazhvadu
Urmika
Adi

Varuvai angaiyarkkanniye enai kattu
Shankarabharana
K/Chapu

Yazhin inimaiyudaiyal paintamizh
Shuddhadhanyasi
Adi


M.M.Dandapani Desigar - True proponent of Tamil Isai
Sriram Venkatkrishnan in the Hindu 26 June 2007

The Hindu reported on June 29, 1973, that M.M.Dhandapani Desigar had passed away the previous evening at his residence in T. Nagar, Madras. He was survived by his actress wife Devasena and a number of loving disciples. It was the end o f a long life that had been dedicated almost in its entirety to the propagation of Tamil Isai.

Born in 1908 at Tiruchengathangudi in Thanjavur district, said The Hindu, Mr. Dhandapani Desigar learnt Thevaram, Tiruvachagam and Tiruppugazh from his father. Desigar hailed from a family that boasted of a strong Oduvar lineage wit h father Muthiah Desigar and grandfather Murugiah Desigar being well known exponents. The method of learning was however unusual, for, Muthiah Desigar would keep his son on his chest and gently lull him to sleep by singing the traditional hymns.

Later, as The Hindu recorded, he learnt music formally from nagaswara vidwan Sadayappa Pillai. He also learnt Tamil hymns from his uncle Manikka Desigar. His first concert was at a fairly young age at the temple town of Tirumarugal.

He learnt Isai from Kumbakonam Sri Rajamanikkam Pillai for about five years, said The Hindu. This happened when Desigar was 13 and his father passed away while on a concert tour of Singapore. The resultant financial difficulties mad e him seek refuge in his sister�s house in Kumbakonam and there he began learning music from Pillai. A warm friendship was to spring up between guru and sishya, so much so that when they were both given the title of �Isai Perarignar� by the Tamil Isai Sangam in 1957, the guru did not in any way feel slighted and both cheerfully accepted the honour. Earlier, in 1948, when Rajamanikkam Pillai received Sangita Kalanidhi from the Music Academy, Desigar held a felicitation function for him in Madras which many musicians attended.

Desigar obtained a job in Madurai in a Thevara Patasala when he was 18 and once, during the Chitrai Festival, sang during the procession. His captivating and ringing voice, as Prof. Sambamurthy wrote on the June 29 in The Hindu, br ought him to the notice of famed nagaswaram artiste Madurai Ponnusami Pillai and from then his career took off.

Desigar acted in Tamil pictures, wrote The Hindu. His singing roles were the outstanding feature of these films. The first opportunity came in the 1936 film, �Pattinathar.� This was followed by �Vallala Maharaja 217; in 1937.

Greatest hit of his career

Given his penchant for Tamil hymns, he was cast in and as �Thayumanavar� (1938), �Manikkavachakar� (1939) and �Nandanar� (1942). The last, made by S.S.Vasan, was the greatest hit of Desigar�s film career and credit for this was shared by him with Papanasam Sivan for his wonderful music. Desigar also acted in a film with a Vaishnavite theme, �Tirumazhisai Azhwar� (1948), besides singing playback in �Mudhal Thedhi� (1955) and �Tirumanam� (1958). His tune for the song �Tunbam Nergayil� in the film �Ore Iravu� (1951) is a work of genius.

In the 1940s, Desigar, to quote The Hindu, became one of the pioneers of Tamil Isai (Tamil Music) movement and composed songs in Tamil. Such was his love for Tamil that he did not think it unusual to sing songs in that language in T iruvaiyaru during the Tyagaraja aradhana of 1946. The conservative element, however, did not like it and after he finished, organised for a purification rite at the Samadhi!

Many honours

Desigar received many honours in his life and as The Hindu noted, he was Samasthana Vidwan of Ettayapuram, Isai Pulavar of Dharmapuram Adheenam and chief music vidwan of Tiruvavaduthurai Adheenam. In 1955, he became head of the Depa rtment of Music, Annamalai University, and there were felicitations in connection with this. The Hindu of May 3, 1955, reported a function at the Woodlands Hotel, Mylapore, presided over by Justice Somasundaram. On June 11, there was another report, this time of a function at the Dasaprakash Hotel, which had veteran violinist Parur Sundaram Iyer and Kivalur Meenakshisundaram Pillai speaking in praise of Desigar.

After a successful tenure of 15 years at the Annamalai University, Desigar left rather suddenly in 1970 and returned to Madras for a life of domestic bliss with his beloved Devasena. He remained associated with the Carnatic Music College (now the Isai Kalluri) and also with the Tamil Nadu Sangeetha Natak Sangam (now the Eyal Isai Nataka Manram) till his death.

On his death, Justice P.R.Gokulakrishnan, then president of the Tamil Nadu Sangeetha Natak Sangam, spoke of Desigar as one of the finest musicians, a good composer of religious type of music and an authority on the recital of devotional songs. It was a true pen portrait of a loveable human being who was also an outstanding musician.
 

 

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